Implement



{No Model.)

U. vH. GRIFFITH.

CARTRIDGB'RELOADING IMPLEMENT.

` No. 448,228. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

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CHARLES H. GRIFFITH, OF NEWv HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVINCHES'IER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY OF SAME PLACE.

CARTRIDGE-RELOADING IMPLEM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,228, dated March 17, 1891.

Application led December l, 1890. Serial No. 373,180. (No model.)

T all wtont z'z may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. GRIFFlTH, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new 5 Improvement in Cartridge-Reloading` Implements; and I do hereby declare the following,

when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact ro description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specication, and represent, in-

Figure l, a side view of the implement coinplete, one handle broken off; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the same with the parts in the closed or setting position; Fig. 3, the same as Fig. 2, with the sleeve withdrawn from the socket and the plug removed; Fig. a, a vertical central section of the plug detached; Fig. 5, a top view, thehandles broken away; Fig. G, a transverse section on line a: x of Fig. l, and Fig. 7 the lever P Q detached.

This invention relates to an improvement in the device employed for reloading cartridgeshells.

In the explosion of the cartridge in the gun the shape of the exterior of the shell is unavoidably changed to some extent, and particularly at the mouth portion, and in reloading it is necessary to bring the shell to substantially its original shape, as well as to insure the insertion of the bullet a certain distance, so that the cartridges will be of the same length from end to end, and it is also 3 5 desirable that such an implement shall possess within itself means for removing the discharged primer and applying a new primer.

The object of this invention is a simple device for reloading, and by which the requisite force may be applied to reshape the cartridge-shell, as well as to combine with such an implement instrumentalities for rcmoving or applying primers to the cartridgeshell; and the invention consists in the construct-ion as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the socket, in which is a vertical or longitudinal chamber B, corresponding in shape to the complete cartridge C below or forward of the head or dange of the cartridge, both as to length and diameter.

moved therefrom.

This socket is provided with a handle D, projecting laterally therefrom, this handle being represented in the drawings as broken off, the handle to be of such a shape as may be readily and firmly grasped by the hand. The exterior of the socket A is cylindrical, and is screw-threaded, as seen in Fig. 2.

E represents the compressing-sleeve, which in internal diameter corresponds to the exter- 6o nal diameter of the socket A, and the sleeve is internally screw-threaded corresponding to the external screw-thread of the socket A, and so that the two may be separated by unscrewing, as seen in Fig. 3, or brought together by screwing the one upon the other, as seen in Fig. 2.

Upon the inside of the sleeve E is an annular shoulder F, at a point above the end of the socket when the two parts are screwed to- 7o gether to their fullest extent. The internal diameter of this shoulderF is slightlygreater than the diameter ot the shell under the head, but considerably smaller than the diameter of the head of the cartridge-shell, and so that the head G of the shell may rest thereon, as seen in Fig. 3. Above or outside the shoul` der F a plug I is iitted into the sleeve, and so as to be firmly secured therein or readily re- This is best done by mak- 8O ing a coarse screw-thread upon the exterior of the plug I and al corresponding internal thread in the sleeve. The plug is constructed with a suitable head J, which maybe grasped by the lingers, and so that by unscrewing the plug it may be removed to open that end of the sleeve, as seen in Fig. 3, or may be readily applied and brought to its seat, as seen in Fig'. 2. Vrlhe inner end of the plug I, when brought to its seat, corresponds substantially to the outer face ot' thc head of the cartridgeshell.

'lhe sleeve E is provided with a handle K, like the handle D ot the socket, and of a length substantially corresponding to that of the handle D, so that the operator may grasp the two handles in his hands and turn the one part upon the other.

In operation the sleeve E is unscrewed from the socket, as seen in Fig. 3, and the plug I removed from the sleeve. Then a cartridge which has been loaded and prepared for resetting is dropped through the sleeve into the socket, t-lic head comingv upon the shoulder F of the sleeve. The plug I is then introduced and brought to bear upon the head of the cartridge, and then the sleeve is screwed down onto the socket, forcing the reloaded shell into the socket. As the sleeve approaches its inal position considerable power will be required to complete the operation of setting, and the two handles being then nearly opposite each other the operator rests the socket portion upon a rm support and applies the force of his hands to the oppositelyturned handles, such support serving as a fulcruin, and the force thus applied brings the sleeve and socket to the final setting position, as seen in Fig. 2. The two handles being in the opposite directions, as described, enables the operator to apply a very great force to produce the resetting. Then to remove the completely-loaded cartridge the operator reverses his action upon the handles to start the sleeve, and in so doing the shoulder F bears against the forward side of the head of the cartridge and operates as an extractor to withdraw the cartridge from the socket, as seen in Fig. 3. The plug is then removed and the cartridge easily withdrawn, when a second loaded cartridge may be introduced for like operation.

Before the introduction of the bullet to the mouth of the cartridge it is desirable to expand the mouth somewhat, so that the bullet may readily enter therein. To provide the implement with a device for so expanding the mouth, the head of the plug J is constructed with a central recess L, in the center of which is a conical projection M, the outer or minimum diameter of which is less than the minimum diameter of the mouth of the shell and so that the mouth of the shell set over the said projection and forced thereon will be accordingly expanded. Very little force is required for this expansion, and it is readily accomplished by the hand of the'operator.

To combine with the instrument a device for setting the primers, the sleeve portion is constructed with an undercut recess M in one side, (see Fig. 5,) which is open at one end, represented in Fig. I as upon the upper side of the handle, and the undercut portion ot' this recess corresponds to the diameter of the head of the cartridge and the outer portion to the diameter of the shell immediately under the head, and so that the head end of the cartridge may be passed into the said recess, as seen in Fig. G, and be firmly held. The lower end of the recess is of semicircular shape, corresponding to the shape of the head, and so as to form a seat to locate the cartridge in the recess. From the side opposite the recess M a recess O in axial line of the seat is formed, as seen in Fig. 6, the recess O extending toward the recess M and into this recess O an L-shaped lever P Q is introduced, the part Q corresponding in cylindrical shape to the shape of the said recess O. The other part P of the lever extends from the part Q at substantially right angles and forms a handle by which the lever may be rotated, the axis of the said part Q of the lever being the center of motion. The part Q is constructed with a spiral groove R, and in the recess O is a corresponding stud bj, here represented as a screw introduced d iametrically into the said recess O. This stud extends into said spinl groove, and so that in the rotation of the said lever, as before described, the spiral groove will operate to impart a longitudinal movement to the part Q toward and from the recess in which the cartridge-head is set. The end of the part Q is constructed with a primer-stud T in axial line with the recess O, and which is adapted to extend through an opening U between tlie recess M for the cartridge-head and the recess O, as seen in Fig. 6.

The primer is first applied to its seat in the cartridge-head and then the cartridge-head introduced into the recess M', as seen in Fig. 6, which brings the primer directly in line with the primer-stud T, and then by giving the rotative movement to the said lever the primer-stud is forced onto the primer and so as to drive the primer firmly to its seat. This done, the lever is returned and the cartridge removed.

The end of the lever-handle P is provided with a pin V, which is adapted to pass through the hole in the primer-seat of the cartridge and so that an exploded cartridgeshell being set over the end of the handle, the pin V will pass through the primer-seat and strike the primer, and the pressure applied thereto will readily force the primer from its seat,

I claiml. The lierein-described implement forY reloading cartridges, consisting of the cylindrical socket A, having a central recess within it corresponding to the shape of the loaded cartridge, the said socket constructed with a screw-thread upon its exterior and provided with a suitable handle, combined with asleeve E of internal shape corresponding to the exterior of the said socket and correspondingly screw-threaded, the sleeve also constructed with a shoulder F upon its inside and provided with a suitable handle, with a removable plug at the outer end of the said sleeve, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cartridge-reloadingimplement consisting of two parts adapted to be screwed together to force a loaded cartridge into one of said parts and so as to reset the shell, one of said parts constructed with an undercut open recess M corresponding to the head portion of the cartridge, the said part in which the said recess M is formed constructed with a recess O opening from the opposite side and extending toward the center of said recess M',

an L-sliaped lever P Q, one part P of saidv lever forming the handle, the other part Q arranged in the said recess O and so as to be rotated therein, and constructed with a spiral IOO IOS

IIO

groove R, and a stud S in said recess O, zu- In testimon5T whereof I have signed this ranged to Work in said spira-l groove R, the specification in the presence of two subscribsaid part Q provided with a primerstud l in ing Witnesses.

axial line therewith and adapted to work through an opening U from the said recess O into the said recess D' substantially as and for the purpose described.

CHARLES H. GRIFFITH.

Witnesses: DANIEL H. VEADER, A. W. EARLE. 

